Lumber-measurer.



W. B'. WOODRUFF.

` LUMBER MEASURER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 190B.

Patented June 29, 1909.

@mi h4 mozo ancianas:

1H: Nnnms Ermes ca., wAsmNcmN. n4 c WILLlS B. \\'OOD R UFF,

LUIVBERJEEASURER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application led August 17, 1908. Serial No. 41t8,9l6.

T o all whomy it nza/y eoneern:

Be it know that I, lWILLIS B. Uioonnnifr, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Cadix, in the eounty of 'llrigg and State oi" lentueky, have invented a new and uselul Lumberii'iez'tsurer, of which the following is a speeiiieat-ion.

rllhis invention. relates to lumber nieasurers and has tor its object to provide a conipara- 1 tively simple and thoroughly ellieient device ol this charaeter specially designed for use by lumber inspectors and other persons lor measuring and registering the number ot square feet. in a given length ot timber.

further object is to provide a lumber measurer having means for determining the number of square feet in d itl'erent lengths and grades ot timber and which shall take the place ot the ordinary rule stiel: and tally books heretofore employed for this pu pose A further object is to provide a lumber measurer includingl a Casing having a plurality olr rack bars slidably mounted therein and arranged to engage eorrespoiuliiig gea or pinions carried b v a stu b shat't7 the latter being operatively connected with suitable registering mechanism mounted on the casing so that when the rael bars are withdrawn from said easing, in the aet of measuring a plank, the stub shaft will be rotated to etleot the operation ol' the registering niecli anism, and thereby register' the number ot' square Vfeet in said plank.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class ol devices so f as to increase their utility7 durabilitv and i ellieieney.

Further objects and ailvaiitagesI will ap pear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in torni7 proportions and minor details ol' construction may be resorted to within. the soope ot' the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings forming a part ot this speen'ieation: Figure 1 is a perspeetive view ot a lumber measurer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view ot the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3--3 ot Fig. 2. Fig Lt is a similar View taken on the line -f-t-t ot Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation ot' 'the upper portion ot the deviceI showing the manner olE eonneeti ing the registering meehanisni with the stub sli-att. Fig. (3 is a detail perspective View ot the upper portion ol ono ol the corner rack bars showingl the timber engaging {ingerin position thereon. Fig. 7 is a similar view of the upper portion ol' one of the intermediate rack bars.

Similar numerals ol' reference indicato corresponding parts in all ol the i'igiires ol the drawings.

'lhe improved lumber nieasurerlorniing the subject mattei' ol5 the present invention includes an elongated casing 5 having its ui'.- Yper end open and its lower end niounted i'or rotation on an operating handle Ai'- ranged within the casing is a cylindrical supy porting nieniber 7, the lower end ot wliieh closed by a bearing block 8 having aT shaped recess loi' the reception ol' the. correspondingly shaped head t) ol' the handle t3, whereby the cylinder 7 is retained within the casing 5 and at the same time permitted to rotate with the latter.

ligidly secured to the head l() oll the c vlindrical support 7 is a guide iiienibor l l pret'- erably rectangular in cross section and having a series ol vertically disposed recesses l 2 l'orined therein i'or the i'iiception ol' the rack bars i3. The lower ends ol the rack bars lin are provided with cylindrical slianlqs l-t which extend through eorresjiondiugly shaped openings l5 formed in the head 1t) and are lprovided with terminal dislzs or heads lti no rniallyY disiosed parallel with the adjacent l'aco ol' the block 8. Surrounding the shaiilis let ol.v the raclis and interposed between the heads t() and lo are. coiled springs 1T, which serve. to noi'iiially and vieldafbly j support the i'acl-c bars lI- within the casing.

Mounted in suitable bracliet's IS at the open end ol' the casing 5 are a plurality o ll stub slialts it) to which are keyed or otherwise rigidlyY secured a series ol spaced gear wheels or piiiions 2() ol' dill'erciit sizes adapted toengage the teeth on the adjacent raclrs ll when the latter are niovod into engagement therewith, as best shown in Fig. 2 oll the drawings. The apertures l5 are 'preferably just largo s enough to perniit vertical .iiiovenient of the racks t3 within the casing 5 without allowing any sido play ol said raclis within said aperl tures, said raclis possessing sullicient resilil l l ency to bend l'roiii the 'perpcndicular line above the perture l5 to a position in engagej iiient with the l:uljacent 'j-inions, as best l siiown in Fig. 'l ol the drawings` Secured to one end of each stub shalt '19 a cranli arm TFE or eccentric 2l having a linl 22 secured thereto and connected through the medium ol a system of levers 23 with registering mechanism 2e or' any )roved construction, the latter being housed Within a suita,I e casing and adapted to register' Uhe number of square feet in any desired lenL tn oi' timber when the racls i3 v. ithdrawn from the casing.

The rach bars, tivoli/'e ly provided, are enter d beyond the orten end oi t i with smooth torti: ray ted, stan Y fted numerals corrrsg:y oi the timber ff 1 said racir bars, the di bers being represented if the i2, lll and 1G, as of the drawings. T of the guide i i struction and als at their u ends of the lumber to be n having tour cts of racli oars being to permit the use of the device on different grades of lumber, a separate register 2d being ene nloyed lor registering cach of lumber. i Extending laterally from each side of the casing` and mounted for rotation in suitable brackets 26 are anti-friction rollers 27 which travel over the unici' surface of the plank or timber when the latter is being measured.

Secured to one of 'the racli bars 'i2 on each side of the guide member il is a detachable finger 2S adapted to A one edge of the plank so that when a longitudinal null is eiterted on the handl 6, said rack bar will engage the adjacent pinion 20 and through the medium of the adjacent cranl; 2l and rod 22' actuato the registering mechanism to register the number oi square feet in said Aplank. @ne ond ci each Ylinger 28 is nrovided with a pointed terminal, 'fliile the opgjgosite end thereof is formed with a square socket 29 arranged to engage the inooth 4portions 25 of the rack bars, there being a set screwv 30 nieroing the squared "cortion 29 and ada-gated to bear against the adjacent racl bar foi-ioctl;- ing` the linger in position on said racl bar.

ln determining the number ot square feet in any desire d length i plank the iingei 28 is arranged in contact with one edge of the plank and the handle 6 manipulated so as to bend the adjacent rack bar 3 into engagement with the corresponding gear 2O after which a longitudinal pull is exerted on the handle which causes the teeth on the raclr bar to engage the teeth on the pinion and rotate the stub shaft to eii'ect the operation oi the registering mechanism, in the manner betere described. 5V hen it is desired to measure different length oi. timber, sav for instance, a ten iioot piani-t the clamping screv.' 30 is loosened and the 'linger 28 removed and to the length to ind`ca u isured, the object or placed on the rack b ar having the numeral 10 stamped on the unper end thcreot and the above operation reieated. ln orderto measure di'dercnt grade or timber, the casing 5 is rotated on the handle G until the desired bank ot racli bars is positioned over the timber or plank to be measured and in which position, said rack bars may be moved into engagement with t ie adjacent pinions 2O to measure the lumber. After the rach bars have been Withdrawn Ytrom the casing and the Yfinger 2S released irom the adjacent edge the piani; the spring i7 -will automatically return said rack bars to inoperative position within the casing, the usual ratchet in echanism being arranged within the casing ot each register 24 for preventing backward rotation oi the same during the rearward movement oi the rack bars.

Attention is l ere called to the the angular' member il not only to the racli bars v-Iithin the casing or 5 but also serves to guide said racl bars when the latter are moved to operative and inoperative positions.

The device may be made in different sizes and shapes and provided with any number or `c iact that serves t i banks of rack bars Without departing 'from the spirit ci the invention.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed is l. A lumber measurer including a casing, gistering mechanism carried by the casing, shaft operatively connected with the registering mechanism, a pinion secured to the shaft, and a resilient rack bar slidably mounted Within the casing and movable laterally into engagement with the pinion tor ro tating the shaft to actuate the registering mechanism.

2. A lumber measurer including a rotary casing, a plurality oi stub shafts each having a series of spaced pinions secured thereto, separate registering mechanism operatively connected with each shaft, and a plurality of banks ot rack bars carried by and movable with the casing and adapted to engage the adjacent pinions for actuating the registering mechanism.

3. A lumber measurer including a casing, registering mechanism secured to the casing, a shaft, spaced pinions oi different sizes sccured to the shaft, a connection between the shaft and registering mechanism, and a bank ot rach bars arranged Within the casing, said raci; bars being resilient and bendable laterally into engagement with the pinions 'for rotating the shaft to actuate the registering mechanism.

4. A lumber measurer including a rotary casing, registering mechanism carried by the casing, a support mounted for rotation with the casing, a shai't operatively connected with the registering mechanism, a pinion secured to the shaft, and a spring actuated rack sha'lt, a esilient rack bar slidahly mounted i within the casing and movable laterally into engagement with the pinion for rotating the latter to actuate the registerine mechanism, and a `finger secured to one end et the rack bar.

6. A lumber measurer including a casing, registering mechanism secured to the casing, a transverse shaft mounted Yfor rotation at one end of the casing and operatively connected with the registering` mechanism, a plurality ot spaced pinions secured to the shaft, a support arranged Within the casing, a guide member secured to the support and haw ing longitudinally disposed recesses 'formed therein, resilient racl; bars slidalely mounted in said recesses and movable laterally into engagement with the pinions 'for rotating the latter to actuate the registering mechanism, and springs housed Within the support and surrounding the rack hars l'or normally and yieldalely retaining said rack bars within the casing.

7. A lumber measurer including a casing, registering mechanism secured to the casing, a shaii't operatively connected with the registering mechanism, a pinion secured to the shaft, a resilient spring actuating rack har slidahly mounted witl 1in the casing and adapted to engz'tge and rotate the pinion to actuate the recording mechanism, and a linger ser cured to one end ol' the rack, the teeth on said rack har being normally out et contact with the teeth ol the pinion.

In testimony that lf claim the foregoing as my own, have hereto allixcd my signature in the presence el two witnesses.

.VILLIS B. VOODRU FF.

Witnesses:

FEUX B. 'rLiuNsoN, J. S. CUNNARD. 

